JUST IN: Cleveland Browns revert former Super Bowl MVP QB to the practice squad following Joe Flacco Critical Week 13 Mistakes

After another loss to the Los Angeles Rams, the Cleveland Browns appear to be doing everything they can to squander a playoff spot. While the Browns have assembled the best roster they have had since the original Browns left for Baltimore in 1996, this team can’t seem to figure out how to put a winning formula together. As of today, the Browns have officially started four different quarterbacks this season, and the fourth quarterback has been forced to leave the active roster.

The Cleveland Browns’ Perpetual Quarterback Nightmare

Kevin Stefanski has decided to demote recent addition quarterback Joe Flacco to the practice squad, adding to the Cleveland Browns’ offensive woes. Stefanski announced on Monday evening that the quarterback position was up in the air for the Week 14 matchup against the elite defensive front of the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The move is somewhat surprising given that Flacco performed significantly better in his Browns debut than either of his predecessors (rookie quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson or career journeyman P.J. Walker. Both of these quarterbacks fit the designed Cleveland offense due to the original starting quarterback Deshaun Watson.

Performance of Joe Flacco

Flacco has an advantage over the other options currently available to Stefanski in that he performed reasonably well against the Los Angeles Rams. In the 36-19 loss, Flacco finished the game 23 of 44 for 254 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Aside from the stats, the Browns have desperately needed a quarterback with the ability to stretch the field since Watson suffered a shoulder injury against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6.

After a string of injuries left the team thin at the quarterback position, Flacco was brought in to provide experience to a young quarterback room. After a string of injuries plagued the quarterback room, Flacco was finally asked to start against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 13.
The final nail in Falco’s coffin was a poor throw that was intercepted by the Rams, which helped seal the defeat. While Flacco made a critical error in the aerial attack, the argument here is that he has the ability to stretch the field against opposing safeties.

Because neither of the two inexperienced players has had much success in the air, opposing defenses can pack the line of scrimmage against the Browns and their elite run-blocking offensive line.

Flacco talks about his performance.
Following the loss, Flacco was apparently self-critical, but he still believes the Browns have the talent to make a playoff run.

“I believe you’ve been watching these guys all year.” They are a resilient group with a lot of talent. It’s one of the more talented teams I’ve been on in a long time, and you can tell.

“So it’s not easy when you take these long road trips and you come up empty handed and right now we’re not going to be able to reflect too much, but hopefully when we get back in there during the week we can go out and have more good practices and eventually put this thing behind us.”
Flacco performed admirably as a reserve player and will hopefully earn another opportunity in the future as the Browns’ quarterback options become increasingly limited.